The Mind's Abyss
by MidnightEden234
Summary: (death) He was just your average teenager looking for a way to survive in a rough world. (darkness) Ichigo Kurosaki never meant for anything bad to happen when he left Inoue Orihime for someone else, (insanity) but he never knew the girl was a witch either... (torture) A nasty one at that. / Pairings: Previous IchiHime and IchiRuki. Present HichiIchi YAOI Dark Fic/
1. 2804 years ago

**Title: The Mind's Abyss**

**Summary: He was just your average teenager looking for a way to survive in a rough world. Ichigo Kurosaki never meant for anything bad to happen when he left Inoue Orihime for someone else, but he never knew the girl was a witch either. A nasty one at that.**

**Pairings: Previous IchiHime and IchiRuki. Undecided HichiIchi… or possibly just no other pairings at all.**

**Warnings: Dark fic, lots of character death, possible yaoi… defiantly not for the faint of heart.**

**Rating: M**

* * *

The night was young, but a combination of vapours clouded the skies making it gain an age of three hours. It was merely a matter of minutes before the sky would release its hold on the water and said liquid would fall to the ground below.

Inoue Orihime cared nothing of the weather. She walked through the wet grass on nothing but bare feet. Her destination was that of the castle's gardens, which also bore home to the meeting place for her and her beloved Ichigo.

Inoue was a fragile girl, her body thin but tall. Her bright red hair was always tossed carelessly behind her head but still head such naturally beautiful curls. Tonight she wore a long turquoise dress with a corset pattern above her waist. A black ribbon made a series of loops around the bottom half of the dress, resembling a scalloped pattern.

"My love," said boy called.

Inoue turned around with a smile. Her eyes met with Ichigo's, a well-built man with hair a shade brighter than hers. Inoue held her hand out for the young adult and he took it, though he took it with sorrow.

"I must confess something, dear Inoue, and I'm afraid it may bring you sadness."

"What is it," the girl asked, her tone turning cold.

"Inoue, I admit my love for you was great, but I fancy another, I have for a long time." He tightened his grip on her hand. "I deeply apologize."

"I- I…" Inoue stuttered. There was a sting of pain in her heart. She was devoted to him, she loved him, but he no longer shared the same feelings. "I must retire to my room," she softly cried. Inoue tore her hand out of his, droplets of silver pouring from her eyes as she turned away.

"Inoue!" Ichigo called, but she did not look back.

Her footsteps were hard with anger as she ran towards the doors of the castle. Inoue sadly opened the doors. Her footsteps turning soft against the rock floor when she walked inside. Her hand gave a gentle shove to the door, but the force didn't matter, the castle doors still slamming shut.

Inoue leaned her back against a wall, sobbing loudly as she slid to the floor. About a minute later laughter begun to take over her crying. A cunning grin spread across her gentle features, and excited glitter appeared in her eyes. The pained feeling she had in her heart lifted as soon as one thought came to her mind, 'If I can't have him. Then no one can.'

Keeping this thought present in her mind, Inoue ran down the hall.

* * *

Ichigo started his walk home, guilt still heavy on his shoulders. Tomorrow he'd be able to inform Rukia of the good news, but tonight however he'd be thinking of Inoue. His every thought would be on her health or her future, and then he would tell himself it'd all be fine.

Thunder cracked off in the distance quickly followed by blinding lightning. After blinking the blurs away, Ichigo took to running home. His father, Isshin had been struck by lightning before. Even though he lived it was still Ichigo's wish that he hadn't.

"Welcome home brother," Yuzu greeted cheerfully as Ichigo walked through the front door. She gently placed the candle she was carrying onto a small wooden table allowing the light to spread throughout the small room.

"Thank you Yuzu," Ichigo replied, taking off his damp coat and placing it on a hanger.

"So," the blond giggled, "how was your night?"

"Uhh…" Ichigo sighed. His hand came up to scratch his neck. "It could have gone better..."

"I gather it wasn't pleasant," Karin, the other sister, commented.

"It could have been worse. Inoue retired to her bedroom, and I think I will do the same."

Yuzu sighed with worry, but before she could say anything Karin jumped up. "Sounds like an excellent idea. Have a good night brother."

Ichigo responded with a weak smile before kicking his shoes off his feet and to the side. He made his way to the stairs not even glancing once at his two sisters. The stairs creaked as he jogged up them. Whether from his weight or their age Ichigo would never know.

He reached his room fast, and at an even greater speed he removed his shirt and collapsed onto his bed.

* * *

Inoue lifted a book from the shelf, dust escaping into the air as she did so. She shoved bottles and parchment off of a large stone slab then replaced the mess with the book. Her fingers snapped and immediately the great book fell open.

"Now let's see," she spoke to herself, dragging a black nailed finger down the page. Her nails matched the kimono Inoue now wore in place of the dress. Purple roses decorated the black but didn't dare touch the sash around her waist.

As Inoue's finger reached the bottom of the page, her smile turned sour. Having found no spell that met her desires, Inoue pinched the page and tore it from the book in frustration.

"Kore wa dōsa shimasen!" She hissed. (t: This will never work!)

'But do I really want it to,' Inoue questioned herself. She turned from the book to pace in front of the window, contemplating on what she should really do in this situation with Kurosaki. It was obvious the man had feelings for two women. Inoue Orihime and Rukia Kuchiki. What feelings were stronger was obvious, Ichigo just revealing that answer an hour ago.

Inoue paused in her thoughts to stare out the window. The clouds were pouring buckets onto the town below, a perfect mirror as to Inoue's inner feelings.

With one glance at the paper in her hands, Inoue's head was made up. Written in perfect letters was the spell she had been searching for, the spell that would lead Ichigo into the darkness… forever.

* * *

Silent.

That was all the Kurosaki house was.

The family beneath the roof was also silent, peaceful, and completely oblivious to the monstrous storm above or the trouble slowly approaching the door.

It was Karin who answered the knock, being the first to answer meant that she was the first to die. Yuzu was second, along with a crack of lightning, and her final action was the scream that woke the sleeping teen above.

"Y-" Ichigo used his hand to silence his own scream. It was to prevent the attacker from knowing about his presence. He shut his eyes tight once the cry of his father met the air, immediately afterwards rushing to the other side of the room to grab his sword. After it was secure in his hand he crouched down and crawled towards the stairs.

Ichigo could hear the creaking footsteps of the murderer as they came up. He attacked, screaming with rage and shoved his blade straight through the perpetrator's flesh. Ichigo silently prayed to god that the spot he hit was vital.

"I- chi- go…"

"R- Rukia!?"

Ichigo didn't want to believe it, but as lightning flashed through the window it was all true. Rukia's grey eyes had turned even further colorless as the life left them. Ichigo's sword had penetrated her stomach making crimson stain her clothing.

"No! Oh Rukia, what have I done," Ichigo cried out. He caught the weak body of his true love in his arms, the raven haired girl still clinging to life.

"Y- You've sav- ved m- me," Rukia stuttered.

"To what purpose is saving when the damsel is lying in a pool of her own blood?"

Rukia gave a weak smile, her eyes searching for the face she loved but darkness preventing her from finding it. "I- Inoue had b- bewitched me to k- kill y- you. In m- my current st- state I am no longer a- able to realize her goal, and s- so I am free…"

Ichigo's lips met hers. It was a plea for her life, but also a silent good bye.

"Kurosaki," Inoue sneered from the shadows.

Ichigo's eyes opened wide with fear, but in almost the same instant turned hateful. He removed his blade from Rukia's corpse, stood up straight and turned to meet the voice. "Inoue, I swear on my life, you will pay for what you have done."

"I'm afraid, dear Ichigo, that if you wanted me dead you should have killed me back in the garden. Your words mean nothing, for you cannot kill what death has already taken."

Ichigo's look of question was almost comical. "Answer me this witch, if you are already dead then how is it that you stand before me?"

Inoue laughed, this time her voice circling around Ichigo, "It's a curse that we share. You shall suffer for all eternity alone in the darkness while I shall not be there to enjoy watching you slip into insanity."

All traces of light faded with Inoue's voice. It was then that the darkness was brought back into light by a tiny blue flame produced in the middle of the room. Red begun to bleed from the walls destroying the blue and the flame itself, turned crimson, slowly made its way over to Ichigo.

'_**Ichigo~!'**_

The boy's head turned around rapidly, but no matter where he looked he knew it was useless. The voice wasn't coming from a human, it was coming from his own mind.

The watery voice laughed, the fire connected with Ichigo's chest and the teenager screamed.

* * *

**Umm… yeah. A lot darker than I thought! :)**

**So, should there be HichiIchi? It could go either way... and insanity fic or a HichiIchi or both? (I'm telling you now that it most likely will be a HichiIchi fic, so people who don't like yaoi you can probably stop here...)**


	2. Chapter One: You're Not Innocent

There were so many stairs, almost four hundred as Ichigo had counted thus far. He dragged his feet along the flinty surface before making a right turn and heading up another set. Ichigo's eyes were half lidded, his vision blurry, and his face almost dead. The air that came out of his lungs was rough making his inhale and exhale much heavier.

_**'**__Haven't we_ been over this a hundred times?' Ichigo's reflection, self-named Ogichi, appeared in the back of Ichigo's vision. Ichigo tried to force the albino away, but it was futile seeing as how he barely even had enough energy to walk.

Breathing heavily, Ichigo reached the final step. One hand reached forward to open the door and took hold of the handle with a shaky grasp. He used his entire body to pop open the door then tripped over his own feet, stumbling out onto the roof.

_**'******__You_ jump, you fall, and you die, right?'

The warm air of the summer's night blew in past Ichigo allowing himself to regain some energy, just enough to make it to the roof's parapet. He observed the city lights below. The peace and quiet soon to be disturbed by Ichigo's suicide.

_**'******__Want _me to help?' Ogichi chuckled. His hands appeared on Ichigo's shoulders. _**'All I gotta do is push.'**_

"Fuck… you," Ichigo muttered. He shrugged the pale hands off then took another step forward into the nothingness of mid-air. His body slowly leaned forward until the heavy drop. His hair blew wildly as he fell, the cold air stinging his face.

What should have broken his knees instead broke his fall. Ichigo found himself standing vertically in a dark alley, his legs about to give way at any second.

Ichigo took a step forward. His arm reached out in front of him searching for a new ray of hope, a sign of his death, something besides damn brick walls! But he found nothing and instead dropped to his knees.

A shriek of pure unfiltered anger cut through June's night. Ichigo screamed and cried and punched the ground beneath him then cried some more.

"Why mustn't this end," he shouted, slipping into his old tongue. "My life must be brought to a close! Surely one should be dead before the age I have reached?"

Arms hooked themselves under the pit of Ichigo's shoulders. They pulled him towards the white finger in front of him, chest meeting chest. A sinister smirk appeared in his blurred vision. The voice of his inner demon rang throughout his head. _**"Did you really think we were gonna die? Ha! How many times have we tried this? Fourteen hundred times, maybe? Fifteen? And every single time you lived without a single scratch."**_

Ichigo's nose twitched, his lips rolled back and he let out a low snarl.

Ogichi smirked, a shocking azure tongue rolling over his pale lips. _**"That's it Ichigo, that's the side of you I want to see. C'mon Ichigo, what'll be this time? 'Hooded Figure Robs Corner Store', 'Masked Menace Steals From Blood Bank' or 'Entire Family Slaughtered in One Night!'?"**_

"You wouldn't dare!"

Ogichi cackled. _**"No, **__I __**won't but **__you__** will." **_The azure snake slid back out of the albino's mouth, sinfully leaving a trail of saliva across the orangette's neck._** "Y'know, Inoue wanted you to be all hers, but you taste too good to be hers alone."**_

"Do not bring her up! I do not belong to a witch like her! …And what, you think that you'd be a better candidate?" Ichigo spat back tiredly.

_**"******__I'd like _to think so."

Ichigo, for a brief moment, felt a sense of security in Ogichi's arms. But when fear struck Ichigo's mind he jumped to take grasp of his sanity once more. "Let go of me," he hissed.

_**"******__Six hundred _years," Shiro whispered. _**"For six hundred years ya haven't so much as talked to me." **_He laughed. _**"It seems like you're finally starting to break."**_

His fear grew, his fear of losing his sanity, of hurting, of killing, or becoming a monster. "I said let go of me you treacherous monster of a hallucination! I will not become the evil entity you fight to turn me into!"

_**"******__Ya_ know as well as I do, people cannot make something out of nothing. In order for people to create good, they had to create evil. And you, my love, are that evil."

"No! Never shall these hands be…"

_**"******__Be_ what," Ogichi asked knowingly. _**"Be tainted by blood?"**_

"…Shut up."

_**"******__Is that _what you were about to say?"

"I said shut up!"

_**"**__It was, wasn't_ it," Ogichi questioned, a playful grin tearing at his lips. _**"'Cause, you know, just how much fun you had tearing apart those teenagers… bit by bit."**_

Ichigo didn't protest, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. It was true, what Ogichi had said, Ichigo had once, in the past, found a sickening pleasure in killing.

It had happened after Ichigo had just reached two hundred years of age. He had settled down in a small town in Japan. Ichigo had a job, a small apartment and a motor bike sporting his favourite combination of colors, black and red.

Ichigo took his wallet into his pocket and left his apartment for a good night out. He arrived at one of the most popular restaurants throughout the entire town. A roof of colored gold held up by crimson walls created a perfect building to serve the perfect food.

The orangette had just finished his meal when the door flew open, not by hand, but by gun. Twelve men were killed, four women were killed, one man escaped and the remaining women were held prisoner. Ichigo watched in shock as the gun held by the first of the four men was pointed at his chest. The trigger pulled and he fell down through the chair he had been sitting on.

Ichigo awoke, alive, not too long after he was shot. The bullet lay in his hand and Ogichi's laughter in his ears. None of his blood had been spilled and the energy he had gotten from his lunch allowed him to fight off Ogichi.

All things changed when he heard a scream. His eyes, not his head, turned to see the four men from earlier bearing knives and grins at four women. It was undeniably and undoubtedly rape.

'Those sick bastards,' Ichigo thought angrily.

A long, spine chilling and horrifying laugh entered the room descending from an invisible throat._** 'Teach them a lesson Ichigo…' **_Ogichi purred from the very depths of Ichigo's mind. _**'Make them feel true pain. Hurt… dominate… slaughter… kill'**_

Ichigo's docile brown eyes suddenly glowed orange with a dominant blood lust. He slowly sat up, much to the men and women's surprise. His nails… no, claws dug into the tiles below, slicing them as if they were butter. Fangs elongated from his upper gum lowering down past his canines. Ichigo grinned madly at the shocked expressions covering the four teenager's faces, their knives falling from their hands and clattering to the floor. The women who, up until this point, were being held captive had taken their leave, bolting out the door as fast as they possibly could.

_**'******__Yes Ichigo! Unleash your darkness_!'

The teenagers went to escape, but Ichigo, easily jumping six feet forward, knocked a table into their way and proceeded to crouch down above the fallen bodies. One man was out cold, blood pouring from a wound on his forehead. The others were slowly standing up. Two of them shuffled out of the way but the third had their legs caught in Ichigo's grip. Ichigo pulled so fast and so quickly that the man's legs separated from his body. He went to cry out but met his end when Ichigo crushed his skull.

_**'******__Shred…_' his shadow continued to chant in his ear. _**'Tear… mutilate… dominate… destroy.' **_And Ichigo listened. His face screwed up with joy, his hands doing the devils work either bare or equipped with the teenager's knife, his nose filling with the glorious scent of blood, his entire being craving to slaughter more victims…

"Now, who's next?" Ichigo asked playfully, grinning at the unconscious man on the floor.

_**'That's it, show them no mercy!'**_

"You step away from him!" the first conscious man screamed. He ran to Ichigo and brought the knife down onto his back. The knife shattered, the man's hand bled and Ichigo's skin was left without a single scratch on it.

The orangette spun around and dug his claws deep in the other's throat. "Were you trying to kill me," Ichigo questioned rhetorically, his grin sadistic and filled with glee. He brought the boy's body over his head and threw it towards the window. A sick gushing sound rang through the air as the neck of the now lifeless body cracked open, blood staining the window. "That wasn't very nice…"

"Y- You bast- tard," the final teen stuttered. He drew his gun with shaking hands and pointed it at Ichigo.

"You can try and pull that trigger; the one who'll end up dead is you."

The teen shot, Ichigo ducked. The boy shot again, Ichigo took his gun. The man ran, Ichigo laughed while hunting him. It ended before either of them reached the door. Ichigo used his inhuman speed to trip his prey, crushed the other's spine and then calmly put a bullet in his head.

Ichigo, now back in our time, flinched at every second of his memory as they flashed before his eyes. He cowered to himself, covering his face with his hands.

"_**No need to be embarrassed-"**_

"Embarrassed," Ichigo snapped, "try ashamed! I hate it! I hate this! And if I am to survive for all eternity I will survive with my sanity intact! Do you understand? Now leave!"


	3. Chapter Two: In the Dark

Ichigo's mind was blank, his body resting and his pulse relaxed. While he slept in his apartment, the same one he'd been owner of for nearly six hundred years, his shadow remained awake. In time Ogichi knew Ichigo would be his and his alone, but for now he'd settle for-

"N-No... Stop..." Ichigo mumbled. His arms begun to fight the air above him as he desperately tried to push away something that wasn't there.

"_**Nightmares again,"**_ Ogichi quietly asked to no one.

Ogichi stood from his chair and made his way ever so quietly towards the bed. He slowly reached forward and laid three fingers onto Ichigo's cheek. The instant his hand met Ichigo's face, the thousand year old teen relaxed. Ogichi's long and skinny fingers stroked Ichigo's skin with a simple grace reserved only for the orangette.

Sure Ogichi was created to torment Ichigo until he went insane, but he couldn't stop the feelings that welled up inside him every time he saw the teenager. Ogichi wanted Ichigo insane, that hadn't changed, but now he also wanted Ichigo to see just how much he really needed him.

Ogichi smiled as he watched Ichigo's stress fade away. Ichigo rocked his face in sync with Ogichi's fingers in order to get more of the wonderful feeling. Soon he was back to normal and sleeping soundly while Ogichi returned to his chair.

This is what he'd settle for. Caring for Ichigo every time he closed his eyes and hoping one day he'd be able to do it when Ichigo's eyes were open too.

Ogichi rested his head on his palm, smirking to himself, watching as yet another moon passed and sun rose.

The sun's light shone in brightly through the window landing just a few inches off of Ichigo's eyes. Ogichi marched over to the blue curtain and gave it a gentile tug sideways, efficiently waking Ichigo up, something he hadn't done in nearly two hundred years.

Ichigo spared Ogichi a glare before standing up and walking over to his dresser. He took out an old pair of blue jeans, a plain white shirt and a new grey hoodie then laid them out on the bed.

Ichigo had just started taking off his shirt, when...

"_**Not going to ask me to leave so you can get dressed?"**_

"Even if I asked you, you probably wouldn't," Ichigo replied. His voice didn't sound like you think it would. He had gotten used to Ogichi after all these years and now their arguments had turned into casual conversation.

"_**That's true... but then, what about a shower? You haven't had one in three days..." **_Ogichi chuckled. Parenting Ichigo was also one of his favourite ways to get Ichigo riled up.

"First of all, why the hell would you care? And second of all, I don't really need to take showers anyways. Even if I wanted to smell bad, because of this curse I always smell like-"

"_**Strawberries. Like your name, I know."**_

"It means 'He Who Protects,'" Ichigo snarled quietly. He then added to his earlier statement, "And you always smell like Vanilla. And before you ask, I only know because of all the times you've stuffed my head under your arm!"

Ogichi let out a good laugh, making Ichigo grow angrier by the second. Hey, I said it was casual conversation, I didn't say Ichigo didn't have a temper.

He lifted up his dirty clothing and threw them at Ogichi before flipping his hood over his head opening his door. "If you're going to be my shadow for the rest of eternity, at least do something useful and throw them in the basket." With that, Ichigo shut and locked the door, stuffed his keys into his pocket and left.

Ogichi lifted Ichigo's pajamas to his face and inhaled the scent, smirking slightly at how the clothing was still warm. He then dumped the clothing into the basket like Ichigo had said and returned to Ichigo's mind where he would watch the day through Ichigo's eyes.

This was one of Ogichi's favourite things, listening to Ichigo's thoughts and seeing how Ichigo saw the world. However, what Ogichi liked the most was searching through Ichigo's memories. He adored the love Ichigo was able to show to his siblings and he laughed at how well he hid behind his mask.

Ichigo was kind to all the people that lived within his apartment, but he wouldn't call them his friends. Ogichi knew that Ichigo could be very scary if he wanted to be, and so Ichigo had kept his distance from everyone he knew.

The fact was, to this day, Ichigo wasn't innocent. And it wasn't just because of Ogichi, oh no, Ichigo was guilty for an entirely different reason. The kid was part of his Kingdom's army and had joined at the age of seven. Two years after he joined he witnessed his mother's death. Ichigo had seen decapitation and witnessed torture at an age where he didn't even know what it was.

And no matter what Ogichi did, he couldn't bring himself to use those memories against Ichigo.

But back onto the subject... Ichigo was never on the frontlines, in the middle or at the back. His talents revolved around assassination or infiltration. So he'd be the killer with a bow or savior with a sword.

After Ichigo turned ten the King had knighted him, gifting the young orangette with a pure black sword ornamented with a manji designed around the hilt. The gift was both a symbol of the King's gratitude as well as a piece of Ichigo's pride.

Suddenly Ogichi's trip down memory lane was interrupted by searing hot pain. He left Ichigo's mind immediately and the pain disappeared, well, most of it.

Ogichi's heart nearly skipped a beat when he saw the cause of his pain. Ichigo was sobbing, like, having a fit of tears. He hadn't seen Ichigo cry since... since ever. Ichigo never cried, at least not like this. His head was buried in his knees, his arms wrapped around his legs and his hood covered his head.

"_**Ichigo..."**_ Ogichi unconsciously murmured.

He knew something was wrong when Ichigo didn't even look up. There was a possibility that Ichigo didn't hear him, but it was highly unlikely considering how Ichigo could _always _hear Ogichi.

The albino made his way over to where the teen sat. With great hesitation he allowed himself to put his hand on Ichigo's head to which a gasp was elicited. Ogichi cringed and pulled his hand back, covering his mouth so that no further noises were made. When Ichigo seemed to flow back into sobbing, Ogichi deemed it was safe to try again.

This time he put his hand on Ichigo's back getting a small sort of purr as a result.

When Ogichi heard the soft noise leave Ichigo's lips, he felt a wave of relief spread throughout his body. Ogichi then added a second hand to the orangette's knees. Then he slowly sat down beside him, eventually resting his body against Ichigo like he was a pillow... a very delicate pillow.

Ichigo's entire frame had stopped shaking by now, and warmth begun to return to his body. He had fallen so far into his sorrow, he wasn't conscious enough to notice Ogichi or anything but the warmth to be honest.

Ogichi pulled Ichigo closer to him. He enjoyed the scent of the other; it made him feel a high like no other. And he couldn't help but feel joy and great pride that he could calm Ichigo so quickly. Ogichi loved that a single touch was all it took to make Ichigo melt.

Now, as Ichigo breathed, his voice hummed a tune and it almost sounded like he was purring. Ichigo's entire body had relaxed and begun to cling to Ogichi like he was the only life line remaining.

And that make Ogichi fucking happy.

"_**You'll be mine soon, Ichigo, and then we can be like this forever." **_Ogichi smirked. _**"Yes, you will belong to me."**_

* * *

Yoruichi Shihoin leapt from building to building with a spy's grace. Her dark purple mane was held behind her head by a single black ribbon. Yoruichi wore a black turtle neck, tight grey jeans and slipper style shoes.

Her partner, Kisuke Urahara was not too far behind. He was neutral in a shirt and tie with matching black dress pants and fancy shoes. Kisuke's usual attire, which would involve a hat and cane, had remained at home.

This was a far more important matter.

Yoruichi and Kisuke were in this city for one reason and one reason only; they had found another person of their kind.

Another Vampire.

"We're here," Yoruichi stated, calm.

Kisuke nodded.

"We're looking for a boy with orange hair, brown eyes and a depressed scowl. He was turned at age fifteen."

"Really," Kisuke questioned. "A Vampire at fifteen years of age... he was so young."

Yoruichi nodded before pushing open the doors of Kurosaki's Apartment. She and Kisuke entered, a little alarmed when they saw how busy the place was, but begun their search nonetheless.


	4. Chapter Three: The Shadow's Secrets

"_**Who are you, and what do you want?**_"

Ogichi sneered, his eye blazing with hatred towards the new comers and boiling with possessiveness towards his orange haired twin sleeping in his lap. Ogichi carefully lifted Ichigo's head and placed it down on the couch's cushion, allowing himself free movement.

"We could ask you the same thing," the female responded.

Ogichi smirked while casually replying, "_**My name is unnecessary; I'm defending my territory. There, I scratched your back, now you scratch mine.**_"

"I am Yoruichi and this is Kisuke. We're here for him," Yoruichi replied, motioning towards Ichigo.

Ogichi growled possessively, his hand moving to block Ichigo's face from Yoruichi and Kisuke's view. "_**You can't have him.**_"

"We noticed," Kisuke replied. "I think someone's in love."

Ogichi wasn't fazed by Kisuke's comment. He learnt how to hide his blush long ago.

"Knock it off Kisuke."

"_**Yeah kiddo, listen to your girlfriend now,**_" Ogichi repaid the tease.

"Kiddo? Just how old do you think we are," Kisuke questioned, not at all fazed by the girlfriend comment.

"_**A thousand and five hundred give or take ten years.**_"

"A thousand and four hundred, actually," Kisuke corrected.

Ogichi gave them a wicked smirk, his eyes shining with a newly cunning gleam. "_**So, just how old do you think I am... kiddo?**_"He chuckled. "_**I'll give you a hint, double your age.**_"

Kisuke and Yoruichi's eyes widened both in disbelief and shock.

Ogichi opened his hand and Ichigo's sword flung out into his palm. With a warning gesture, pointing the sword at Yoruichi's throat, Ogichi hissed, "_**I understand that there is a war taking place; many others have already tried recruiting us. We have no intention of joining either side, so, if I see either of you here again, I will kill you.**_"

"U-Understood," Kisuke stuttered.

Yoruichi, however, wasn't so compliant. She removed the knife from within her sleeve and jumped to Ogichi's back. Her dagger aimed straight for Ogichi's neck, but none other than her own blood was spilled.

Ogichi looked down at her and smirked. "_**No blade can pierce my flesh. No object can bruise my skin. No heat can melt my body. No cold can freeze my heart. I am immune to death.**_"

Yoruichi stared at her hand with fear. Shards of her own knife lay lodged in her skin, bleeding heavily, while Ogichi's neck remained completely flawless.

"_**Now leave. I will not kill you if you're gone within the next ten minutes.**_"

Ichigo's eyes slowly opened, catching the sort-of death threat given by Ogichi. He watched the two others vanish before sitting up straight, eyes never leaving the albino.

Ogichi sensed Ichigo awakening. Sighing with exhaustion, he turned to the orange headed Vampire.

"Who were they?"

Tired of lying, Ogichi simply replied, "_**Vampires.**_"

"Vampires," Ichigo asked in shock, "What did they want?"

"_**You.**_"

Ichigo eyes darted to the floor and his body begun to shake. A conflict went on inside his head, half of him was confused and the other half was furious.

Ogichi made his move to sit down beside Ichigo, but the teen had seen his movements and jumped off the couch. Ichigo was prepared to once again yell at Ogichi, but was stopped at the strangely soft expression on Ogichi's face.

When Ichigo turned to leave, Ogichi snatched his hand.

"Let go of me!"

Ogichi said nothing, not even when Ichigo started clawing and screaming to be released.

"I said let go!"

Ogichi gave Ichigo's arm a harsh pull making him land on his lap. Before Ichigo could get up again, Ogichi wrapped his arms around Ichigo's waist.

"Damn it! I hate you, stronger than I've hated anything else in my entire life! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

The words hurt, but Ogichi bore with it just so he could hold Ichigo.

"Let me die! Please, just get out of my-!"

"_**Shut up!**_"Ogichi screamed, finally losing to his inner emotions,"_**Just shut up!**_"

Ichigo froze, numb, petrified... The hurt in Ogichi's voice stunned him to the bone. The caring arms around his waist made him feel warm. It was just like that time a few days ago... he was secure... warm... loved... insane. Ichigo couldn't summon the will to reject his shadow. He almost laughed at his own stupidity, but he didn't want to hurt Ogichi. See, funny right?

"_**Too many times I've protected you from war! Too many times I've defended you from things you know not to even exist! I pray you, give me some respect!**_"

Ichigo sat in silence and just listened. He could feel Ogichi's grip grow tighter; he could see his mind as it slowly begun to crack.

"_**Ichigo, you haven't any idea in the slightest how much you need me. You sleep at night only because I erase the nightmares that invade your mind. You stay at peace in this apartment only because I send away the intruders who come to invade your life.**_"

Ichigo stared out across the room, one eye on the wall opposite and the other on his slowly darkening mind. Ichigo's was slowly lowered onto his back, but before he could even register that he'd moved a kiss was on his lips. After the initial shock was gone, Ichigo melted and his sanity shattered. He, much to Ogichi's surprise, hungrily kissed back fighting to devour the other's lips.

Ogichi smiled, fighting against Ichigo with twice the passion. His hands grabbed Ichigo's shoulders, to which the orangette moaned, and held him firm showing Ichigo who was boss.

When they pulled away, their heads didn't move far. Foreheads didn't part and lips barely did. Ogichi's eyes were closed. He panted heavily against Ichigo whilst enjoying Ichigo doing the same thing to him.

"_**I... love you Ichigo... I really... truly... do.**_"

"Maybe..." Ichigo panted. "Maybe I... love you too..."

"_**That's what I wanted to hear.**_"

Ichigo snatched Ogichi's lips again, this time kissing at a slow and much more pleasurable rate. He couldn't believe how much of an idiot he'd been to possibly ignore Ogichi all this time. How could he not have noticed? How? These questions wracked the deep crooks of Ichigo's mind while his more recent thoughts were about the albino in front of him.

Was this considered incest? And would moaning at the pain Ogichi's nails have caused on his thighs make Ichigo a masochist? They both surely didn't care.

Ogichi was glad he'd finally gotten what he always wanted, Ichigo. It was true. For nearly three thousand years, **three thousand fucking years **Ogichi had lusted after Ichigo, and with great patience the snake had finally coiled around his prey.

As for Ichigo, he never really knew what he wanted. He mourned for Rukia, apologized and prayed to her for one hundred years. Then the next he spent on his sisters and another hundred years for his father. But there was nothing he wanted more than to seek his revenge on Inoue. Obviously the girl was dead, and Ichigo was smart enough to figure that pursuing a pointless goal would lead to his loss of control and eventually Ogichi would control his mind.

Now, however, he didn't care what the consequences were. Ichigo had never felt so right in anyone's arms, he'd never felt so secure or happy in his entire life than he did right now leaning against Ogichi's warm body. It was like all his worries had flown out the window (along with his sanity) and Ichigo had finally found a place to belong.

"Never leave me?"

"_**Never would even dare.**_"

_You're mine now Ichigo, forever and always will be. You can never leave my sight, you will never lose my protectiveness... and perhaps you've even gained a monster's love. _Ogichi thought quietly to himself. He laid down on the couch, placing Ichigo on his lap, and watched Ichigo drift comfortably to sleep.

**Apparently Ichigo was really tired or something this chapter? ...Ogichi, did you keep him up all night?**

**Ogichi: *scoffs* I did no such thing!**

**Ichigo: I protest!**

**Ogichi: *slaps duct tape across his mouth* Okay, so maybe I did... guilty as charged! *smiles***

**Okay. Anyways, reviews get poptarts? ...or Pixie Stix! :D**


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